Campaign of the Month:
January 2012

Star Trek Late Night

Alandran

The Alandra are intelligent, ocean dwellers native to Trianos, the second planet in the Zeta Pelis star system on the far side of the Rintanni Nebula. Over 96% of the planet’s surface is covered by ocean; the only land masses are scattered, barren volcanic peaks and irridescent coral atolls that poke above the ocean surface. (The atolls always occur near the volcanic islands.) Their slender, muscled, eel-like bodies are three to four meters long and black to olive-green in color. They have a pair of powerful arms ending with webbed hands. Their large, arrow-shaped heads have a huge, hinged jaw filled with razor sharp teeth. While they are capable of breathing both in water and in air, their skin needs to maintain a certain moisture level or they will die, so while they occasionally leave the waters to visit the islands, they cannot remain out of the water for very long (approximately 20 minutes).

The Alandra are a technologically primitive species that live in water anywhere from 25- to 50-meters deep. They live in tribes of varying sizes, from a small extended family situation to some tribes with hundreds of members. They tend to make their homes underwater on the steep sides of volcanic peaks. They have no structures or other indications of ‘civilization’ or constructs: their homes are nothing more than caves or hollowed out sections of coral. Alandra tribes claim an area as their territory; not for political purposes, but to mark their hunting and gathering grounds.

Alandra migrate frequently to follow the fish schools they hunt for food, so any tribe may have several different sites they call home. They cultivate several different sea plants for food and medicine; these plants grow very quickly in the volcanic ash of Trianos. They also grow a kind of luminescent moss which is used to light the interiors of caves or the dark ocean depths.

Alandra communities are very unstructured: most beings spend their days on hunting expeditions or tending to the plants. Some are sentries who patrol near the ‘villages’, watching for predators. The Alandra are a social people, with a great deal of loyalty to each other and a rich storytelling tradition (they use both sound and hand gestures to relate their tales). Ceremonies and rituals are also fairly commonplace – but important – events in the Alandrian culture. Leadership is determined by tests of physical strength, intelligence and charisma. Their main weapons are primitive spears made from bone shafts and stone heads.

Until recently the Alandra believed themselves to be alone in the universe. Actually, the Alandra did not comprehend what the universe was: to them, only Trianos existed. Then – approximately 5 years ago – a Korri merchant vessel discovered the Zeta Pelis system and the undefiled world of the Alandra. Not following a Prime Directive as that of Starfleet, the Korri ship landed and made contact with the Alandra. Surprisingly, the Alandra did not react negatively to the news that there was more than just the waters they lived in. They did not see the Korri as some type of god-like beings, either (much to the Korri’s dismay). Trade was opened up between the Korri and the Alandra, the Alandra gaining anything they wanted while the Korri subtly manipulated the Alandra into not getting anything that could advance their culture. That way the Korri could continue to ‘strip mine’ the planet for next to nothing.

The Korri are trying to keep the existence of the Alandra and Trianos secret. If other forces in the T’burad Expanse ever found out, the Korri could lose this valuable, resource-rich world.